Valentines day is a wonderful days for all you single lovers out there. But when you are parents it’s really hard to get around grand gestures of love. Here is a neat little DIY project I managed to create between work andÂ diaperÂ changing.

I’ve been meaning to post an article about the “experience gift” for over a year, since I love the idea of giving an activity as a gift. Some of you may remember the skyÂ glidingÂ gift or theÂ PhotoÂ sessionÂ gift, since I blogged about them. However, today I want to talk about the “experience gifts” I didn’t write about, the ones that striked out.

I had a great gift idea for some of my more creative friends, a certificate for a craft class of some sort or another.Â I thought I had it all planned out: I arranged for a certificate with the art studio, made sure it was geographically close to theÂ receiver, paid in advance for the class and gave the certificate as a gift. What I failed to understand is human nature toÂ postponedÂ unpleasantÂ tasks such as calling toÂ scheduledÂ anÂ appointmentÂ (Which always feels kind ofÂ awkward). This is what happened to the friends whoÂ receivedÂ a gift certificate for a class or a dinner from me. They were really excited about the gift, but never fully redeemed it. Thinking about it, I Â myself,Â receivedÂ a dinner certificate more than six months ago, and I still haven’tÂ usedÂ it. I was trying toÂ understandÂ why this came to be and I think I got it figured out. I would like to share with you some tips that would help you to successfully give an “experienceÂ gift”. I believe these tips would make the difference between a certificate sitting in aÂ drawerÂ and anÂ unforgettableÂ experience.

Tip number 1: Know your friend

Who is your friend? What kind of person is s/he? wellÂ organized? Has a lot of time? Social orÂ independent?Â Bottom line, If you give this person a certificate would it sit in a drawer with all the other piles of things to do or will that person put it to use. Let me tell you that most people, including myself, would probably forget about itÂ untilÂ it’s to late, even if it’s the most amazingÂ experience on the face of the earth. This is just the way people are. Don’t give a certificate unless you areÂ absolutelyÂ positive that this person would use it.

Tip number 2: Set a time and place

Setting a time and place is very important. Once a person is invited to a specific time and place, he is more likely to arrive, as apposed to an open invitation that he may or may not choose to take.

Tip number 3: Make an event out of it

Planning the gift as an event is the best way to make sure the gift isÂ fulfilled. You can invite a few friends, or have a privet birthday “date”. By planning an event or meeting you are making it very hard for the person not to come.Â This is the reasonÂ why the sky gliding and photo session worked, they planedÂ as events, and sharing the experience with my friends was just an added bonus.

I always thought that men are impossible to buy for, but lately I find that there are more and more coolÂ giftsÂ outÂ thereÂ for the fineÂ gentleman.

Here is a roundup of some of my favorites gifts for men:

1. Not sure what to get? Money is always a good gift, but you really want to see your money put intoÂ somethingÂ rather than spent on everyday groceries.Â The bomb shapedÂ Money boxÂ designed byÂ Yegor Zhgun, is a way to give someone a head start to something they want. All yourÂ recipientÂ has to do is write down the purpose of the savings and drop the bomb once the bank is full.

2. A custom madeÂ Inspector stampÂ is a great little gift for the man who wants to leave a mark in this world.

3. A great gift for the guy with a desk is aÂ Memo Globe. He’ll never have to look for a piece of paper again.

4. TheÂ Key Bottle OpenerÂ is a necessary item for any guy who like to have a cold beer with his friends on a regular basis.

5. I find that mugs are a great gift. I always like to fill them up with some candy, I think it adds a nice touch.If your man is crazy about Mad Men, thisÂ Mad Men MugÂ Â would be perfect for him.

I can’t believe that this is my 100th post! I was saving one of my DIY projects just for such a joyful occasion, though I mustÂ admit that I almost didn’t notice that I hit 100 posts. It was a real surpriseÂ realizingÂ that I did,I guess it’s kind of like forgetting that it’s your birthday.

So here it is a special DIY project that I call: Our friendship in a nutshell.

There areÂ severalÂ reasons that this post is very dear to me. First, it was a gift to my oldest and dear dear friend. Second, I came up with this sweet idea all by my little self. Third, I wasn’t sure I’ll be able to actually make this gift, so you can imagine how excited I was to see that it came out real nice.

The idea is based on the phrase “In a nutshell” which refers toÂ describing something using as few words as possible. The idea came to me when I saw walnut perfectly broken into two shells. I thought to myself that it could be used as a little box to contain a secret message. And thenÂ it hit me! It would be such a cute gift to write down a summery of the relationship, pointing out specialÂ occasions,Â shared phrases and long lost memories, using a nutshell as the box.Â Hence, “Our Friendship in aÂ Nutshell”.

Once I thought of the idea it wasÂ obviousÂ which friend is going toÂ receiveÂ it, my oldest friend. Going back almost a year and a half ago, I wrote a post about a gift IÂ receivedÂ from my oldest friend, using a shared phrase that became sort ofÂ legendary phrase among our friends: Tuna Fish Need Love. I think that the “friendshipÂ in a nutshell” gift is similar in concept to the book she made me, since both gifts are like a time capsule of memories. It was so much fun trying to remember all the silly things we did together.(Initially I thought about using pictures but then IÂ realizedÂ that they would come out too small and probably won’t fit in the nutshell).

This is a quite simple DIY project. Follow these few simple steps:

Step 1: Break a walnut into two pieces

Step 2: Coat it with a color of your choice. I used gold leafs, but I think that a simple acrylic color would be just as good.

step 3: This is the tricky part. I wanted to be able to open and close the nutshell. At first I though about using a hinge, but that was too small. So I took a piece of ribbon and glued it to the inner side of one of the shells. This way I was able to tie the twoÂ pieces together in order to open and close the nutshell.

Step 4: Print out a small note with the friendship description and in aÂ separateÂ thin piece of paper the phrase “our friendship in a nutshell”.Â Roll the note up like a little scroll and use another string of paper, to keep the note rolled. I simply glued one end to the other, making enough room to slip the scroll in.

Step 5: Place the note inside the nutshell, allowing the thin paper with the phrase to stick out. Tie the ribbon in a pretty bow and there you have it! Your friendship in a nutshell.

Step 6: Hide the nut in a bag full of nuts and give to your friend.

I made this for a close friend but this really is a wonderful anniversary gift for your husband/wife, niece/nephew, Parent, teacher or anyone sharing a long history that can be described in a nutshell. Since it’s small, you can give it as a keepsake for a traveling loved one. It is a great gift for the end of the year or a newÂ beginning.

Most importantly it is real easy to make and although it’s cheep and easy to make, it’s actually priceless.

I’ve been wanting to start an animal category for some time now… I sort of did an animal bit on Shark Week, and I did do aÂ Fantastic Mr Fox article… But I think I want to start aÂ regular Â theme such as color code, dedicated to all you animal lovers. I know I already had a fox article, but I know that there are lots of fox lovers out there inÂ desperateÂ need of a foxy gift. OK OK you got me… I’m the fox freak! But I’m alsoÂ obsessedÂ with deer so that just might be my next animal article. I searched the web and gathered my top ten foxy gifts. In case you were wondering, 9 and 10 are my personal favorites,what can I say? I’m a girl, I love shoes…

After weÂ establishedÂ that the giftÂ recipientÂ loves foxes… all that is left is to match the gift to theÂ occasion…

1. Â A lovely home decor piece such as thisÂ Artwork PlateÂ with a vintage fox illustration, is great as a house warming gift.

2. Did someone get a new job? This cute littleÂ Tail Me More MugÂ is a sweet conversational piece and therefore is great for the office…

3. When thinking of a house warming gift we tend toÂ neglectÂ the outside…Be original with this littleÂ Garden FigurineÂ will make a great addition between some garden gnomes.

4. Have a house warming and you want something for the kids room? A lovelyÂ Fox PillowÂ Â will work for both genders…

5.Need a stylish gift for a stylish gal?Â Fox Earrings,For the eternal Fashionista.

6. I love thisÂ Fox TÂ for a foxy little boy. It’s a lovely design, I wish it would come in Medium for my man… Then he and my little one can match T’s…

I’ve been meaning to write another color code post ever since I posted the black and white one. TheÂ problemÂ is, there are so many colors, I didn’t know which one to pick (Choices, choices). Then I recalled that at my last shopping spree, after going through all the stuff I got, I realized that I bought mostly blue clothes with gold accessories (isn’t thatÂ weird?). SO, why not? Let artÂ imitateÂ life… I’ve decided onÂ RoyalÂ blue and gold, a very lively combination that would work for the elegant, yet colorful person. When I started browsing for items, I didn’t think that the roundup will end up being so lovely.

1. For boys, men or dinosaurs fans such as myself. A whimsical planterÂ by crazyÂ coutureÂ adds a pop of color to any room. Great as a housewarming gift for a bachelor’s pad.

2. Scarfs are almost always a fun gift, that would fit any woman. I love a scarf that gives a splash of color, you can find this one at Periay’s store on Etsy.

3. OhÂ jewelry…need I say more? Lovely Peacock bangle by Max&Chole

4. Not quite my style, but what the heck… It’s Miu Miu shoes, in blue or gold glitter.

Life in the digital world is getting easier in almost every aspect of life. It’s getting hard to think about a world without emails, Facebook, blogs, Apps and well,Â basicallyÂ the internet. In this digital world there are many websites and applications that are trying to help us deal with theÂ elusiveÂ task of gifting, not to mention blogs such as this one. Here are three examples for such wonderful sites which hold a promise for an easier givingÂ experience.

Wantful,Â is a personalized pop-up shop that you create for your recipient. After answering a few questions regarding style, relation to the recipient and your budget, you choose sixteen products which are presented in a cute little gift book. All your recipient needs to do is unwrap it, decide which product they love most, and the product will be sent to them. Wantful is a great website, it is user friendly, well designed and actually fun to use. They really managed to turn the giftingÂ experienceÂ to something you would like to do. If you want toÂ experienceÂ it without actually buying the gift, you can go through the process withoutÂ checkingÂ out. Try it, it’s fun.

Giftly, is an phone app thatÂ allowsÂ you to give experience’s such as a dinner at a restaurant, concert tickets or even a cupcake. I wish I could tell you how and if it works or not, unfortunately, this app isn’t available in Israel so I can’t check it out… But it sounds great! I love the idea of giving an experience rather than a gift. Imagine getting perks fro your friends on your birthday. You could go to different stores andÂ receive fun little gifts, ending the day with dinner and a movie all prepaid by your friends…Â Â I think this is what this app is all about, if it isn’t then that’s a great app idea.

Wishlistr, is a sort of PinterestÂ of gifts. You add links to products you would like to have, and share it with your friends. The idea is really cool, but IÂ wishÂ that the website was more like Pinterest,Â offering a more visual interface. Instead you have titles and links which are not very inspiring and not easy to follow. However, I like the idea of letting people know what you would like toÂ receiveÂ other than have everyone guessing.

Now allÂ that isÂ left for you to do is go online and start giving without leaving your seat…

In theÂ envelope there is a CD with the movie that a close friend of the familyÂ retrieved from an 8mm film. He had it converted specially for my grandmother and the rest of the familyÂ receivedÂ a copy.Â The movie shows, as promised, the 1956Â PassoverÂ dinner. I see my grandmother holding my baby aunt, my father and uncle, sitting with my grandfather and my other uncle listening to my great grandmother who is whispering in his ear.

If you ever read Harry Potter, you will remember the pensive,Â an object used to review memories.The pensive is a shallow stone basin, into which are carved runes and strange symbols. It is filled with a silvery substance that appears to be a cloud-like liquid and gas; it holds the memories of people who have siphoned their recollections into it. Â These memories can then be viewed by a non-participant, third-persons point of view. Seeing this video, made me feel like one looking into the pensive, watching my young father with my great family. It feels very strange, very nostalgic but mostly its veryÂ touching. Such a personal wonderful gift, is really priceless.

Among other properties, color is a key element in choosing a gift. Therefore, theÂ success of the gift may depend on that alone. This is why, when facing theÂ challengeÂ of finding a gift for a certain someone,Â I would advise you to find out which colors this person likes or more importantly dislikes. In order toÂ find out which color’s oneÂ prefers, you should notice which colors s/he likes to wear, which colors s/he use for accessories and which color’s they decorate their home. Then coordinate the gift accordingly when buying cloths accessories or home decor. Soon enough you would find out that most people dress in black, the majority do it since it is the easiest most slimming effortless solution for cloths, other’sÂ simplyÂ love black. In either case, when in doubt both black and white are the safe option.

Motherâ€™s day isÂ comingÂ up and this year it has a whole new meaning for me since itâ€™s my first as a mother. I always knew that mothers are a special breed but these first nine weeks as a mother made me appreciate my own mother in a different light. The thought of having to care for someone else for the rest of my life is very stressful and I donâ€™t think that feeling will ever go away.

I would like to take a moment to say a few words about my own mother since she really is a special person. I really donâ€™t know how she manages to do it: She works late hours and still finds the time to manage a household, take care of her elderly mother, her kids and help with her grandchildren. Whenever I need her she is there, and she always knows how to sort problems out. She is aÂ true source of inspiration.

What are you waiting for then? It’s time to start thinking about a thoughtful present for your mother so you’re not rushing last minute.

Here are some ideaâ€™s to get you startedâ€¦

For the Soccer mom:Â She won’t miss a game with this Halftone CalenderÂ and by next mother’s day, she’ll fill in all the dots and complete the image. Make it extra special by using a photo of your face (unfortunately, it only works with a close up picture).

Now, as much as I love my mother, I don’t think she would enjoy any of these gifts, she is theÂ old fashionedÂ mom, for her a big flowerÂ bouquet or pictures of her grandson are the best way to go.Â Sometimes simple is better. And although it doesn’t sound like much, I’m sure that all your mothers would mostÂ appreciateÂ some help around the house. I know I would…